A resolution of the N2 Carroll-Yoshino (c4' - X) band problem in the Earth's atmosphere

Physics

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Airglow, Earth Atmosphere, Nitrogen, Resonance Fluorescence, Rydberg Series, Solar Activity Effects, Atmospheric Chemistry, Atmospheric Models, Photochemical Reactions, Radiative Transfer, Resonance Scattering, Solar Terrestrial Interactions

Scientific paper

In the study of UV airglow from the Earth's atmosphere, the N2 Carroll-Yoshino (CY) c4'1 Σu(+) - X1 Σg(+) (0,0) and (0,1) Rydberg band emissions near 958 A and 980 A, respectively, are found to be weak relative to the c4' (0) excitation rate. This result is surprising because laboratory measurements show that CY(0,0) and CY(0,1) are the brightest N2 emission features between 910-1010 A even under optically thick conditions (Zipf and McLaughlin, 1978). In order to investigate the cause of this weak emission quantitatively, we have developed a resonant fluorescent scattering model for CY(0,0) and CY(0,1). The model is intended to be comprehensive, including multiple scattering, extinction, branching, escape to space, predissociation, and temperature effects. Results show CY(0,0) photons are radiatively trapped and undergo resonant fluorescent scattering accompanied by substantial loss in the atmosphere. Indeed, the model predicts weak CY(0,0) intensities, consistent with observations. We find that the most important loss processes for the CY(0,nu(double prime) system in the Earth's dayglow are predissociation and branching to CY(0,1) followed by absorption by the overlapping, 100% predissociated Birge-Hopfield I(BH I) b1 Pi(sub u)(2) - X1 Σg(+) (0) band. Near solar minimum, model CY(0,1) and (0,2) dayglow zenith intensities between 160-170 km range between 4-9 R and 0.5-1.5 R, respectively, where the lower number assumes 16.5% predissociation of the c4' (0) state and the higher number assumes 1% predissociation.

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